Netherlands
Ok, I'll give some tips:
First off, get rid of the Tiger Ace bulletin, not only do you immediately give away what commander you will choose but it also only helps in the lategame. Most matches are decided in the early/mid game. A better option is the 3% accuracy bulletin for Grenadiers that will help you all game long. Your opponent has this bulletin, so there's already a 6% accuracy difference between what you could have had and what your opponent has. Also get the Faust range bulletin, it's the strongest bulletin in the game. Replace either the Panzergrenadier or Ostwind bulletin (I'd say the latter, Ostwind suppression only becomes relevant if you get two of them together IMO).
Another big point is what units you send where. At the start of the game you send a Grenadier + Pioneer up west and an Assault Grenadier + MG42 to the east. Soon after, your Pioneer and Grenadier were forced off by a Penal squad, because it's not that strong of a combo. Try Pairing your Pioneer + MG42 to one side and Grenadier + Assault Grenadier to the other side. The Pioneer can provide sight for the MG42 (they have 20% more sight than other infantry) to allow for good positioning. The Assault Grenadier squad can help your Grenadiers win engagements if you surprise the enemy when they try to close in (keep them behind the Grenadiers or a shotblocker so they don't get revealed too early). If you play it well, you can secure both sides early on, at which point you should consolidate where you expect the enemy to attack next and go for his cut-off.
Some small tips:
- Don't put your MG42 next to an enemy point when capping but near the edge so it doesn't get revealed.
- When your Pioneer squad is wounded and won't be useful in the fight anymore, you should pull it out of the fight to cap points or plant Tellers, (just make sure it doesn't get retreat wiped).
- If you had upgraded your Pioneer with the breakthrough package, you could've sneaked to his munition cache from the east and thrown a satchel to destroy it.
- Make sure you keep harassing the other side of your opponent. Later on you became a bit tunnel visioned and didn't make any move on the two undefended enemy points in the east.
You didn't make a light vehicle because of that terrible engagement you had where you lost an MG42 and a squad. I wouldn't normally advise this, because I think Ostheer is strongest when they have a light vehicle to scare away lone infantry squads and unsupported vehicles. But I understand you wanted to get something stronger to make a comeback. If you want to skip T2, consider going Mechanized Assault, which offers the 250 that's very strong when used correctly. It saves you 30 fuel over the 222 if you skip T2. You give up Pgren smoke nades, the OKW P4 and a stronger Tiger, but you get the 250, a cheap arty strike (100 muni to force off an AT gun, helps allot) and a cheaper Tiger (costs less fuel, doesn't require T4) in return. Just an idea.
You chose to rush the OKW P4. I think it would've been better if you went with Ostwind as first tank. Going OKW P4 leaves you more vulnerable to the Soviet going T70 because it comes later. Furthermore, the Ostwind performs better against AT guns and infantry IMO. You can always get the OKW P4 after that.
When the game started to bog down, you started making some serious mistakes. You shouldn't do head-on attacks with your tanks against an entrenched opponent that has AT guns and SU-85's. You had a strong advantage in anti infantry (Pgrens + P4's + Tiger against mostly MG's, tank destroyers and anti-tank guns), so you should've your tanks in a more conservative way where you focus on bleeding his infantry. The best way to do this is to backtech to T2 and get a Pak40 out. The long range of the Pak40 means your opponent can't use his SU-85's uncontested. Getting a late mortar was a good decision, a second one could've been even better. I'd say this is one of those cases where support weapons would've helped you more than getting a third tank. Once you catch your opponent's AT out of position, that's the moment you do the big assault (keep poking him with tanks and Pgrens to find the right moment), otherwise it's safer to just slowly bleed your opponent in an attrition war, considering you already had him at <100 VP's.
That's all for now!
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![[Peanut] Caosak flag](/images/replay/ostheer_flag.jpg)
[Peanut] Caosak
SKELETRON
McBain
T.R. Opportunity Cost
JibberJabberJobber
Relic Entertainment
